by Nic Saint
Panting from the exertion, Scott whipped his cell from his pocket.
“Roland!” he hollered when the call connected. “They got her. They got Anna!”
Chapter 23
The moment the men had thrown her into the van, one of them pulled a black hood over her head while another used a zip tie to fasten her hands behind her back.
“Hey! Where are you taking me!”
When no response came, she tried kicking out. A vicious punch to her mouth dissuaded her from that idea, and for the rest of the trip, she lay still.
The men, whoever they were, didn’t speak a word, and it was only when the engine was cut, and rough hands grabbed her and yanked her to her feet, that she realized she was in for a world of pain.
“Let me go!” she yelled as they dragged her out, but it was to no avail. They had her and they weren’t going to let her go.
They dumped her onto a chair, and the cap was yanked from her head. Blinking, she found herself staring into the face of an older man with a flabby face and bushy eyebrows. Once, he might have been handsome, but the years had turned him into a ghoul.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?” she cried.
The man didn’t respond, but merely studied her dispassionately.
She looked around the room. It was semi-dark in here, and the room was sparsely furnished. A table and chairs and nothing more. Cement walls, floor, ceiling… But then she saw that a door connected the room to another one. Through the door, she could see the bed. The sheets were blood-stained, ropes attached to the four edges.
Oh, no. They were going to rape her or kill her or both!
She wrestled with the zip tie, and tried to stand, but was abruptly pushed back down by the man who’d dragged her in.
“Who are you?” she yelled, her voice quaking. “Why?”
With a vicious glint in his eyes, the man hauled off and slapped her across the mouth. She tasted blood.
“Shut up, whore!” he growled.
He looked up when a third man entered. To her horrified surprise, it was Ty.
He grinned when he caught sight of her.
“Done a number on her already, have you?”
The older man smirked. “Just priming her, son.”
Son? Her eyes whipped back to the old man. “Harlan? Harlan de Montesquieu?” she whimpered.
The man’s eyes clouded. “How do you know my name?” He raised his hand again. “Did Thornton tell you about me?”
“You-you’re my father!” Anna stuttered, leaning back to try to stay out of his reach.
“What? What the fuck are you talking about, you Thornton slut?”
“Y-y-you dated my mother Jackie Moonstone when you were both working at HdM Fifth Avenue almost thirty years ago. Mom left New York shortly afterward and had me.”
“Nonsense!” he roared.
“You have a tattoo of a fish on your lower back, and you like to be called Filou!”
“What the…” The old man stared from Anna to his son. “What is this? Where did you find this girl?”
Ty looked as flustered as his father. “Picked her up at the club. She’s Scott Thornton’s girlfriend.”
“F-filou,” Anna repeated. “Y-you’re my father. I came to New York looking for you.”
The old man was silent, his eyes betraying deep emotion, his face working. “Jackie Moonstone. I remember her. A real looker.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “So you’re her daughter, huh? Birthdate?”
She gave him all the relevant information, and she could see Ty’s eyebrows shoot up.
Yes, asshole, she thought. You just had sex with your own sister.
“Dad,” said Ty, leaning closer to his father. The two of them had a whispered conversation, and from the way Harlan’s face darkened, she had a pretty good idea what they were discussing.
“I can’t do that,” grunted Harlan suddenly, pushing his son away. “I may be a lot of things, but I’m not gonna abuse my own flesh and blood.”
So that had been the plan, Anna thought. Harlan was going to teach the Thorntons a lesson by raping her.
Her father rose to his feet and gestured to the man holding her down. “Take her away,” he rasped.
“No!” hollered Anna, fighting against her restraints. “No!”
Harlan stood over her for a moment, and she thought she could detect a glint of compassion in his weary eyes. He fingered her hair briefly, and only spoke one word. “Pity.”
Then, abruptly, he turned and strode out the door, followed by Ty.
Two more men entered, and she recognized them from that night at The Capital. She then finally caught a glimpse of the man behind her. He was the third man. Her three rapists were about to add capital murder to their list of crimes.
She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of watching her break down, but when they hauled her to her feet and started dragging her out, she couldn’t hold it together anymore, and she broke down in desperate wails.
“Please don’t do this!” she wailed. “Please! Scott!”
One of the men gave her a vicious punch in the stomach that knocked the wind right out of her.
“Stop calling for your boyfriend,” the man spat. “He won’t save you now. No one will.”
Chapter 24
While the men took her to her final destination, Anna gave up on screaming for help. They were back in the van, and she could scream all she wanted, no help would come. No one even knew she was here. Waking up that morning and finding Roland gone, she’d decided to call her mom and announce she was coming home. No more silly girlish dreams about finding her father. She had found him, and he was not exactly what she’d hoped to find.
Her mother had been more than pleased that her little girl had finally come to her senses, as she put it, and was ready to welcome her home with open arms.
After that, she’d felt her stomach grumble, and not wanting to abuse Roland’s hospitality any longer, had decided to go over to her apartment, pack up her stuff and start arranging her return to Boulder. She figured that in clear daylight, no one in his right mind would dare attack her.
How wrong she was.
She’d just left the eatery where she’d enjoyed a hearty breakfast, when she’d heard Scott’s voice calling after her. He was waving at her from right across the street!
She should have known she might bump into him; after all, this was the neighborhood where they’d explored every single deli, restaurant and bar, and the one she’d picked for breakfast was one of his personal faves. In fact, though she hated to admit it, she’d vaguely hoped to run into him somehow.
But seeing him now made her realize she didn’t want to meet face to face after all. He hated her. He despised her. He’d had his way with her and then kicked her out. Just the thought of facing him filled her with a sickening sense of dread. What could she possibly tell him that would excuse her erratic behavior?
So after a moment’s hesitation, she’d turned and run. And that’s when Ty’s men had caught up with her and unceremoniously plucked her off the street. In the heart of Manhattan, in clear daylight! The nerve of the Montesquieus. Of course, if it was true that HdM owned half of Manhattan, he was only fishing in his own backyard…
She sat quietly, hoping the men would be quick about it, and not cause her any more pain than necessary.
Her life was over, she realized, and for some strange reason, she almost welcomed the end.
She’d really made a mess of things—screwed up every relationship, especially the one that meant more to her than any other. She’d alienated Scott, and now he would be glad to finally be rid of her. Would he even shed a tear when he heard the news of her demise? Would he care? She didn’t think so.
The only person she felt sorry for was her mom. She wished she could talk to her one last time, and tell her how much she loved her. How she finally understood why she’d left her father to have her baby alone.
She’d always blamed Jackie for not sticki
ng with her dad, for denying her daughter a father. Now she understood. Harlan de Montesquieu was scum, and Jackie had been both lucky and smart to save herself when she could. Her mom was a lot smarter than her daughter, that much was clear…
They’d arrived. The van lurched to a halt, and she could hear the tires grinding gravel.
The sliding door was yanked open, and powerful arms pulled her to her feet, dragged her outside, then shoved her down onto her knees.
She could hear seagulls and the lapping of water. They were somewhere near a river. The East River? Oh, no! T-they were going to kill her and dump her body in the river!
This was it. Her last moments on earth.
Thank you, God, she thought, for giving me a taste of life. Sorry to have screwed it up so royally.
She heard a gun being cocked and squeezed her eyes shut, tensing all her muscles against the pain she was sure to come.
A gunshot went off near her head, and the blast was so loud, she dropped to the ground, letting out a yelp of surprise and fear.
Then another, and another, somewhere further away.
She blinked, still unable to see, her breathing fast and labored. She-she was still alive! She wasn’t dead yet! What was going on?
Suddenly, strong hands pulled her up, and she cried, “No! Please don’t kill me!”
A wave of relief flooded her being when a gentle voice said, “It’s all right, Anna. You’re safe now.”
“Scott? Is that you?”
“We better get out of here,” another voice sounded. She recognized it as Roland’s.
The veil was finally lifted, and she blinked against the harsh sunlight. Her vision clearing, she found herself staring into Scott’s soft, brown eyes. She’d never welcomed a more beautiful sight.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said with a smile.
“Scott!” she cried, and flung herself into his arms. He held her in a close embrace, and then she felt someone—Roland!—cut the zip tie, and she slung her arms around Scott’s neck and burst into a flood of tears. Tears of relief, and love.
“It’s all right, honey,” he murmured, gently stroking her hair.
“Scott!” Roland’s sharp voice sounded.
“We gotta go, honey,” Scott said. “Can you walk?”
Gingerly and with Scott’s help, she rose to her feet. Her legs felt rubbery, but with Scott’s support, she managed.
Only now she saw the three men lying face down on the ground around the van. They were in some kind of hangar, close to the waterfront. A big block of concrete with her name on it lay waiting.
“Get her out of here. I’ll take care of the bodies,” a grim-faced Roland snapped.
Scott fast-walked her to his waiting motorcycle, handed her a helmet, mounted the bike and helped her climb behind him.
“Hold on tight, baby,” he said.
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She clung to him as if he were her life support—which he was—and when the bike suddenly accelerated, she held on even more, squeezing his black leather-clad form for all she was worth.
“I’ll never let you go again,” she murmured as the wind whipped her face, and she closed her eyes.
Chapter 25
This time, Scott didn’t take her aboard his yacht. Instead, he drove her at a record speed to the family estate in The Hamptons. It was as if he wanted to outrun whoever could be coming after them. Ty’s men.
When they finally roared through the ornate cast-iron gates to the Thornton mansion, she heaved a sigh of relief.
Odd as it was, she felt a sense of coming home.
Even though she wasn’t a Thornton, she felt her heart sing and her spirits soar. People had loved her here, and perhaps they still would.
The moment he drew the bike to a full stop on the gravel drive, three familiar faces stepped onto the porch to welcome her. She could see the concern etched on Jack Thornton’s handsome face, mirrored on that of his wife Fay and their youngest daughter Chloe.
“Anna!” Fay cried out, approaching them at a jog. “What happened?”
Scott uttered but a single word, but it was enough. “Ty.”
Fay clasped a hand before her mouth. Her gray hair was tousled.
She helped Anna off the bike and gathered her up in a warm embrace. “I was so worried,” she murmured.
Anna felt tears sting behind her eyes. Worried? About her?
She said, “I thought you would be mad.”
Fay rocked her in her arms. “I couldn’t be mad with you, honey. Not for the world.”
Chloe, all flaming red curls and striking emerald eyes, cast her a worried frown. “Where did you go, all of a sudden? When I woke up this morning, you were gone!”
Fay included her daughter in the embrace.
“I’m sorry,” muttered Anna, no longer holding back her tears. “I’m so sorry about everything.”
A few feet away, Scott and his dad exchanged whispered words, casting worried glances in her direction. All she could hear were the words ‘HdM’ and ‘East River.’
She just hoped the family wouldn’t get into trouble over this—over her. She really wasn’t worth it.
“I’m so sorry,” she repeated.
“What’s there to be sorry about?” said Fay. “If there’s anyone who should be sorry it’s Scott.”
She directed a fierce gaze at her son, who turned his eyes to the ground, and scraped his foot uncomfortably across the gravel.
“Scott?” said Chloe, confused. “What did he do?”
“Never mind what he did,” snapped Fay. “It’s what I will do to him that matters.”
“It’s not Scott’s fault,” Anna was quick to interject. “I’m the one to blame. I—”
Fay held her face in her hands, and spoke fiercely. “Stop blaming yourself, Anna.” She pointed back to Scott. “And if you pull another stunt like that, young man, you can start looking for another place to call home.”
“Yes, mother,” Scott muttered.
In spite of herself, Anna had to grin. She could only imagine this was what he must have looked like at age ten.
Scott caught her smile, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
“Now apologize to Anna,” snapped Fay, “and do it now, before I lose my patience completely.”
“Yes. We don’t want your mother to lose her patience, Scott,” muttered Jack, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Better do as she says.”
Scott turned to Anna and solemnly said, “I’m sorry, Anna. I was a fool to kick you out—”
“You kicked her out!” cried Chloe, folding her arms across her chest. “Scott Thornton! You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought!”
“I know,” confessed Scott. He swallowed with some difficulty, and held out his hand. “Walk with me?”
Anna nodded, and took his offered hand.
“Good idea,” said Jack. “Let these young people sort things out by themselves.”
“But—” protested Fay.
Jack drew her close and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. “I think Scott can take it from here, honey. He doesn’t need two old coots to chaperone him.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Fay sharply, but slipped her arm into her husband’s and let him walk her back to the house.
Chloe still stood rooted to the spot, her face betraying her absolute dismay with her brother. “I still think you’re an idiot, Scott.”
“I know. And you’re right,” said Scott.
She scowled at him. “This isn’t over. I want to hear every single detail of this latest fuck-up of yours before the day is through.”
Anna placed an appeasing hand on Chloe’s arm. “I’ll tell you later, all right?”
“Oh, all right,” the young woman muttered, and reluctantly stalked toward the house after directing one last withering glare at her brother.
Finally, they were alone, and Anna found herself lost for words.
Scott, too, didn’t break the silence that had descended, so she leaned
her head on his shoulder, and when he steered her in the direction of the gardens, she gladly acquiesced.
They’d walked for almost five minutes before Scott finally spoke.
“My family is right. I’ve been a fool, Anna. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
She’d clung to his arm all this time, but at these words, she released him, and slipped her hand in his. She stared at the ground for a moment before answering.
“It’s me who should apologize, Scott. T-there’s something really wrong with me. I-I’m not the right woman for you, you know that. And when—”
He jerked her around so they were facing each other, then he roughly took her by the shoulders and shook her. Once.
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, Anna!” he spat. “Don’t let anyone tell you different!”
“But Dr. Reid said—”
“John said that what you’ve been going through is the normal reaction of a girl who’s been rejected by her father.”
He shook her again and held her gaze. “I love you, Anna. I’ve loved you from the moment you walked into my life and I’ll never forgive myself for treating you the way I did last night. It’s unforgivable.”
“But I forgive you,” she said softly, offering him a hesitant smile. “I forgive you, Scott.”
He looked like he was about to burst out in flames, his face working furiously, and the next moment he’d lifted her off the ground, and was carrying her away.
She gave a short squeal of surprise, and then settled into his strong arms.
She didn’t know what he planned to do to her, and she didn’t care.
He still loved her. In spite of her sick and twisted sexual predilections, he still loved her.
And that was all that mattered.
Chapter 26
He carried her over to the Thornton family mausoleum, outside from the house the only place that offered some measure of privacy. He’d almost lost her. If he hadn’t spotted her in downtown Manhattan, he’d have had no way of knowing she’d been kidnaped until it was too late. And even so, if he and Roland had been but five minutes later, she’d have been dead, her body resting on the bottom of the East River. He’d been lucky enough to see the license plate on the van, and Roland’s research and hacking skills had done the rest.
